Question
Hi LI Gardener:
I need help!!!  I live in Nassau County, Long Island.  My gardener laid down new sod about 7 months ago and it's already destroyed by my 90lb Lab.  My yard is highly "moist" due to the low elevation.  Can you please recommend a good sod for me to lay?

Answer
Oh, neighbor, what a bummer.  Labs are wonderful, highly intelligent superdogs.  But as you have learned, GRASS and DOG cannot live together in peaceful harmony.  There is nothing you can give your Grass to make it strong enough to survive the ebulliant bouncing and boombooming of Man's Best Friend.

You are not alone.  I know, that doesn't help.  But if you don't keep Fido off the Grass, Fido will prevail, the Grass will not.

Assuming you can do that, you can grow any Grass you want - Kentucky Bluegrass is the popular, but Tall Fescue takes the cake for foot traffic.  I don't mean regular yard acrobatics of a happy Dog; I mean occasional BBQs and the pitterpatter of little feet on their way to the swingset and sandbox in the back.  Dog, no.  Tall Fescue is planted on football fields:

www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf803.pdf

But it doesn't win the beauty contest that KBG does.

Your problem is not the Grass so much as the Soil.

I'm guessing you have the same heavy Clay Soil we all start with.  Your gardener should amend it a foot deep minimum, HEAVILY, with Organic Matter (which can be a loamy mixture of Peat Moss, Sharp Sand, Humus/Compost and Aged Manure).  NO FERTILIZERS (they chase away Earthworms, which are key to making all this work).  Grade, then roll out the Sod.  Your amended Soil will retain less Water and the Grass will be less soggy.  Lotsa work but it does the trick if you do it right.

Make sure he doesn't talk you into using Sand.  If you have Clay and you add Sand, the chemical result is hardpan.  That is REALLY un-friendly to any kind of growing matter except invasive Weeds.

Any questions?

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER